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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · patient · arm · pass · straw · board · calf · rest

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — a break
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com